PLB Index Check

PLB Index Check Terminology

Open: Allows the user to choose which file (or files) will be opened and scanned by the PLB Index Check program. During the “Scan” process the file will be opened in read only mode, no changes are made to this file. If more than one file is selected, a new instance of PLB Data Check will be started for each additional file selected. Up to 99 instances of PLB Data Check can be running at the same time.

Output: Allows the user to specify a file name that will be created during the scanning process. The file will contain the data records that don’t match the associated index. Creating this output file is an optional process; see “Copy records with invalid key to…” for more information.

Scan: Starts the process of reading the “Index File” and determining if the index key matches the key data in the data file. This process also determines other file stats. See “File Stats” for further details on information gathered during the scanning process.

Preferences: Allows the user to establish default preferences to control how some of the features within PLB Index Check operate.  Preferences pertaining to the current instance of PLB Index Check can be set using the icon tray at the bottom right of the screen.  These changes don’t change the defaults.  Defaults can only be changed by opening the preference window and saving your changes.

Help: Displays a dropdown menu that will allow the user to view help contents, navigate to our website, or see the PLB Index Check about screen.

Exit: Allows the user to close this particular instance of the PLB Index Check program without exiting the PLB Utility Suite.

Index File: The name of index file (or files) to be scanned. The user can enter the file name manually or they can find the file using the standard windows open dialog by clicking the “Open” button on the toolbar.

Copy records with invalid key to…: This feature copies data with invalid index keys to another file. If this option is checked when the “Scan” process is started, the PLB Index Check program will copy the associated data record to the file associated with “Output” file name.  When this option is checked the user is required to enter an “Output” file name.

PLB Index Check Results

Number: The record number of the data record with an invalid key.

Error: This column only displays in the list if the user chose to show all indexes, not just error indexes.  In that case, the index and matching data for all records is displayed, and this column shows ‘No’ if the record isn’t in error, and ‘Yes’ if there is an error.

Index: The data in the index file that makes up the key for the scanned index file.

Data: The data in the data file that should correspond with the ‘Index Key’.

PLB Index Check File Stats

Records Read: Count of records read during the current scan.  It can be compared to the count given by the index to make sure the index and data file are in sync.

Index Record Count: Count of records reported in the index header.  It can be compared to the records read count to make sure the index and data file are in sync.

Index Record Length: Record length of the data records as reported by the index header.

Index Tree Level: Reported amount of trees within the index file.

Data File Name: Path and filename of the data file associated with the index file that was scanned.

Invalid Key Count: Number of records that had invalid index keys (index not matching data).

Deleted Record Count: Number of deleted records within the data file.

Key Length: Length of the index key as reported in the index header.

Index Column Positions: The byte positions of the fields that make up the index key.

Uppercase Index Data: Reports if the key data is stored as uppercase only.  If ‘Yes’ then data that is stored as lowercase, is uppercased before comparing it to the index key.

Duplicate Keys Allowed: Reports if the index allows duplicate keys.

Variable Length Allowed: Reports if the index allows variable length data records.

Known Issues and Limitations

• Records Lengths larger than 65,000 bytes are not supported.
• Indexes that use the Alternate Partial Key Syntax (example: P=\”5=’Y’&10=’M’\”) can only be checked in the first step Index->Data, the second step Data->Index can NOT be checked.